Trump: US was hours from striking Iran, pauses for diplomacy

AP file photo

US president Donald Trump said the United States was just an hour away from launching a fresh military strike on Iran, with naval warships armed and ready, before a possible diplomatic opening prompted a pause. Speaking at the White House, Trump warned that the US could still deliver “another big hit” if negotiations to end the two-month conflict fail to produce a peace deal. Trump said he was giving Iran “a limited period of time” to strike a nuclear deal, warning that Washington would not allow Tehran to develop atomic weapons. “There's no question in my mind that they'd use it, there's no question—and I deal with these people. They're extremely radicalized,” Trump said.

Earlier, in a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Gulf leaders had urged him “to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow, in that serious negotiations are now taking place”. However, Trump said he had directed the US military to remain “prepared to go forward with a full, large-scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached”.

Meanwhile, Iran’s army warned on Tuesday that it would “open new fronts” against the United States if Washington resumes military strikes, after Trump said he had paused a planned offensive to give diplomacy a chance. The warning came despite a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since April 8, as Washington and Tehran continue indirect exchanges aimed at ending the Middle East conflict triggered by US strikes on February 28. Since the truce took effect, the two sides have held only one round of talks, which ended without a breakthrough.

Even as diplomatic efforts continue, Iran has maintained tight control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy supplies, while the United States has enforced its own naval blockade on Iranian ports. Iran’s ISNA news agency quoted military spokesman Akraminia as saying Tehran would continue to oversee the strategic waterway, adding that the US had little choice but to “respect the Iranian nation and observe the legitimate rights of the Islamic republic.”

On Monday, Iran formally announced the creation of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority to regulate traffic through the strait, saying vessels must operate within boundaries set by the Iranian armed forces. The Revolutionary Guards, the ideological wing of Iran’s military, also warned that internet fibre-optic cables running through the waterway could be brought under a permit system.